"Cheese wins. Always." ---Sara Adduci, Feast!
Cheese Work. With Extra Cheese Please. Welcome to Episode 82 and my conversation with cheesemonger Sara Adduci of Feast! Sara worked front of house at various restaurants for 26 years. It was an edacious romance with an extra aged gouda that set her on the path to learning everything there is to know about fermented milk. http://edacious.co/082/
How did she educate herself? Tasting! Taking notes afterward. Reading books. Sara just returned from a 6-week whirlwind cheese tour through Europe. An educational summer abroad began with a 2-week internship at L'Amuse Fromagerie in Amsterdam. She even spent time on an island of sheep! An island where Dutch folks bring livestock to graze and people and cars are forbidden. Her education shows. Sara has competed in The Cheesemonger Invitational multiple times, winning a bronze medal in 2016. What are some of the paces the judges put her through? We talk about it. At Feast! Sara is given carte blanche to order whatever cheese she thinks will sell, a balancing act of educating folks on new and strange cheeses but also catering to their tastes by including old favorites. There are some cheeses Sara loves that folks just don't like. Price is also a factor with some cheeses just being too expensive to offer on a regular basis.
Caring for good cheese is vital as well because it can easily pick up flavors in your fridge. Make sure you slice off a tiny piece of the outside before serving so you have a "clean face". Wrap it in parchment, not plastic. Cheese needs to breathe. It's also important to serve it at the right temperature. Luckily, a good cheesemonger like Sara can walk you through everything and it never has to be an intimidating experience. Just talk to her! Tell her about your event even if the event is Tuesday Night. Tell her what you like to eat and she can direct you to a new favorite or a better version of an old one.
I've followed Sara's photography on Instagram for years. First met her during a Farm Dinner at Caromont, Gail Hobbs-Page's querencia of goat cuddling and excellent cheese. How appropriate! Give this episode a listen. Then get yourself to Feast! and load up on some good stuff. Cheers!
